T-Cong Leaders To Visit Delhi On Tuesday

Congress legislators from the Telangana region have decided to visit New Delhi on Tuesday to pressurise the party high command into taking a favourable decision on Telangana.

About 20 MLAs from the region met at the Congress Legislature Party on Monday to discuss the strategy to counter the efforts being made by the Seemandhra leaders to stall Telangana formation. They decided at the meeting to visit New Delhi along with ministers and MPs from the region to seek the High Command's nod for a favourable decision on the statehood issue.

Besides Government Whips Arrepally Mohan and Anil Kumar, MLAs including A Pratap Reddy, K Lakshma Reddy, Bhikshammiah Goud, Kanta Rao, Praveen Reddy, E Satti and Babu Naik attended the meeting.

Talking to reporters later, Mohan said that the Telangana state would be a reality by this month's end. However, to ensure that the Centre does not get influenced by the Seemandhra leaders, the Telangana legislators would submit a representation to Central leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Vayalar Ravi and Ahmed Patel. He asked the Seemandhra leaders not to issue provocative statements, and thus create law and order problems.

MLA Bhikshamiah Goud accused Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal of using unparliamentary words against the Telangana leaders. He that warned that if the Telangana people decide, then they would not allow Seemandhra leaders to stay in Hyderabad even for a day.

Lakshma Reddy clarified that the division of the state was not a division of the Telugu people. Therefore, he said that the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh should be taken on a positive note. He said that the Telangana leaders would maintain restraint till January 28. (INN)